Author name: Salt Lake City AGO Chapter

The Salt Lake Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (SLCAGO) aims to engage, support, and uplift every organist, whether hobbyist, volunteer church organist, degree-seeking organ student, AGO certification candidate, or working professional.

Virtual Organ Showcase and Open Console

Certification & Training, Concerts & Recitals / By

Christiansen III-109 Home Virtual Organ by R. M. Ballantyne Organs, Opus 33

Come learn about virtual organs!

Clay Christiansen has invited chapter members to his home where he has a 3-manual virtual organ installed, the Christiansen III-109 Home Virtual Organ by R. M. Ballantyne Organs, Opus 33 (see organ spec attached).

  1. Recital: Clay will do a 20-minute recital of the five movements of his Suite, which shows off the organ well. 
  2. Virtual Organ Discussion: The organ engineer who work on this project, Charlie Raasch, will also join us by video conference to talk about the project and the organ’s design and installation. Learn about virtual organs from an expert! 
  3. Open Console: Finally, attendees will have the opportunity to play the organ, so bring your music and your organ shoes! 

Seating is limited to 35 attendees, so registration on the event page: https://slcago.org/event/virtual-organ-showcase-and-open-console/.

Dean’s Message, October 2019

Chapter News / By

We now approach a new holiday season. Halloween is around the corner followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. Thanksgiving is a mere six weeks away – Christmas another four weeks after that. I don’t intend to create any stress or anxiety. Instead I want to issue a challenge to you and your family to fill your coming Holiday Season with worship through music; in particular, organ and choral music. Here are some suggestions: 

1. Our chapter partners with the Eccles Organ Festival to bring professional organ recitals to our community, free of charge. Benjamin Sheen performed this last Sunday. His repertoire was exceptional. Johann Vexo is performing November 10th, 2019, followed by the Brass and Organ Christmas Concert December 15th, 2019. Do plan to attend and bring your family and friends. 

By the way, the Eccles Organ Festival Board of Trustees is beginning the selection of professional organists for the 2020-2021 season. Who would you like to see perform? Now is the time to give us your input. 

2. Mozart’s Requiem will be performed at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Sunday November 3rd, 2019. What a marvelous way to begin the celebration of Thanksgiving. 

3. I’ll bet you did not know that I sing in a choir. (Those that know I sing in a choir wish they didn’t know). It is the SOJO Choral Arts Choir, and Orchestra. Our 2019 Sounds of the Season Concert is December 7th, at Bingham High School. You should attend. It’s a riot. 

I know this is not all the events planned for this season. I personally would like to know what other events, in any denomination, are planned, particularly if they involve a member of our Salt Lake Chapter. Let’s share the information we have and make this a wonderful, worshipful, pleasant and stress free holiday season, together. 

John K. Rice, Your Dean. (I had no idea this magazine and website existed: theladyorganist.com. Who knew?)

Registration is open for Pedals, Pipes, & Pizza 2019

Certification & Training / By

Registration is now open for Pedals, Pipes, & Pizza! Please see the event page at https://slcago.org/event/pedals-pipes-pizza-2019/ for all event details and to register.

Registration will remain open until 24 October.

Here’s a quick summary:

  • Check in on Saturday, 02/Nov at 8:00 a.m. at the West door of the Assembly Hall.
  • Plan on playing 5 temple square organs, including some you may never have seen before!
  • We will probably finish things up 1:30 p.m.

We hope to see you there!

Pedals, Pipes, & Pizza 2019

Benjamin Sheen to perform on October 13, 2019

Concerts & Recitals / By

Benjamin Sheen, Associate Organist at Saint Thomas Church in New York City, is one of Great Britain’s brightest young organists. Hailed as a “brilliant organist” by the New York Times, he is the 2013 winner of the Pierre S. du Pont First Prize in the inaugural Longwood Gardens Organ Competition, and that same year received Second Prize and the Jon Laukvik prize at the St. Alban’s International Organ Competition. He holds degrees from the University of Oxford and the Juilliard School, is a prize-winning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and the 2011 recipient of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Silver Medal.

Benjamin Sheen will present a wonderful recital for the Eccles Organ Festival on Sunday 13 October 2019 at 8:00 PM at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, featuring works by Bach, Mozart, Whitlock, Duruflé and others.

Eccles Organ Festival Recital: Benjamin Sheen

Christophe Mantoux in Recital on Temple Square

Concerts & Recitals / By

Christophe Mantoux will do a recital at Temple Square and a Master Class in Libby Gardner Hall during the last week of October 2019. Event details are at the end of this article.

French organist Christophe Mantoux is Professor of Organ at the Pôle Supérieur and the Conservatoire Régional de Paris where he teaches students from all over Europe, the United States, South America, South Korea, and Japan.

Prior to his appointment in Paris, he was Professor of Organ at the Conservatoire National de Région of Strasbourg. He also holds the post of Titular Organist at the famous Church of Saint-Séverin in Paris where he has served since 1995.

A downloadable bio and outline of his recital is available on the Events pages below.

Master Class with Christophe Mantoux at Libby Gardner Hall
Christophe Mantoux in Recital at Temple Square

Eccles Organ Festival: Twenty-sixth Season

Concerts & Recitals / By

All Eccles Organ Festival Recitals are given on Sundays at 8:00 PM at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, Salt Lake City, UT. All events are offered free of charge and open to the public. Donations are welcome.

Here are links to the first few events. You may be particularly interested in the open console events that are offered this season!

Eccles Organ Festival Recital: Benjamin Sheen
Eccles Organ Festival Recital: Johann Vexo
Eccles Organ Festival: Open Gallery Nights
Sign-up is required; please see event web page.
Eccles Organ Festival: Open Gallery Nights
Sign-up is required; please see event page.
Eccles Organ Festival: Brass and Organ Christmas Concert

Dean’s Message: September 2019

Chapter News / By

Welcome to the beginning of a new year of programs, activities and events of the Salt Lake Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  I invite you at the beginning of this program year to become acquainted with our Chapter website.  There you will find the Chapter’s calendar of events and other resources and information aimed at assisting you in your work and love of the organ.   Our Webmasters, Max Walker and Chad Staten have done a wonderful job with the website.  They wait upon your further advice and input as to what would you would like to see as far as information or other resources as we continue in the effort to give you the best resources available via the website.

During this coming program year you can expect to see some organizational changes designed to promote the efficient operation of the Chapter and also designed to expand the breadth and quality of events for both professional and amateur organists.  It is our aim in so doing to expand the positions and assignments for Chapter programs and events so that as many of our Chapter members who would like to participate will have the opportunity to do so, without the fear or anxiety of having to make a large commitment of time.  We believe our upcoming organization changes will enhance the quality of being a member of this Salt Lake Chapter – the Best Chapter of the West. 

The mission of the Salt Lake Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ.  We have a thriving community of musicians.   I have visited and experienced the services of the Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists, Protestants, Baptists and other denominations in our community, not to mention the Mormon services, (whoops – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ services – one can hardly say all of that in one breath).  I enjoy and I am enthused about the professionalism of our organists and the choirs and choral groups in all the denominations in our community.  I invite our members to do as I have done and visit and become acquainted with the amazing organists and choral groups of other services. Listen, learn and appreciate as they play for their services.  They really are amazing.  In fact, if you choose to visit a service of any denomination, invite me along, because I want to visit new services and venues and promote the sharing of our excellent musicians’ knowledge of the organ and music. 

We hope to schedule events in this calendar year where you will accomplish exactly what our mission calls for – sharing knowledge and inspiring passion for the organ. 

So here is to a great year coming up.   In closing, I ask you this question.  What is the definition of an optimist?

Dean:  John K. Rice